Sometimes the answer is hiding in plain sight. Healthy weight and metabolic balance depend on a constellation of pathways working together, not by any single ‘magic-bullet’ mechanism.
That’s why the functional ingredients that truly make a lasting difference are the ones capable of influencing several pathways at once.
This reality, supported by emerging research, is often lost in the marketing frenzy surrounding that latest wave of ‘GLP-1-inspired’ products. As consumers become more discerning, brands face increasing pressure to differentiate and to deliver measurable, sustainable results. Supporting satiety alone isn’t enough.
Market opportunity: Weight-management demand has never been higher
- Over 70% of American adults are overweight or obese.¹
- Global weight-management spending is projected to reach $465bn by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 9.7%.²
- High consumer interest in metabolic wellness is accelerating demand for clean-label, natural solutions.³
Neither is nudging glucose nor inhibiting digestive enzymes in isolation. Ingredients offering a more coordinated, multi-pathway approach are far better aligned with the holistic wellness mindset now favored by consumers of all ages.
That’s where Gateway Health Alliances’ patented botanical extracts, Dyglomera® and CQR-300®, stand apart. Backed by one of the largest and most consistent bodies of clinical research in the category, these ingredients work across multiple mechanisms that influence appetite, energy intake, glucose and lipid metabolism and natural GLP-1 activity. Fourteen peer-reviewed clinical studies involving nearly 2,000 participants demonstrate robust and consistent improvements in weight management and key metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers.
With small daily serving sizes – just 300mg to 400mg – and highly favorable formulation characteristics, Dyglomera and CQR-300 offer an exceptional foundation for innovative foods, beverages and supplements that support healthy weight management and metabolic wellness.
Traditional botanicals elevated through modern science
Dyglomera and CQR-300 are botanical extracts with long histories in traditional diets and medicine. Dyglomera is derived from Dichrostachys glomerata, an African spice fruit rich in polyphenols. CQR-300 is a standardized extract of Cissus quadrangularis, a succulent long used in Ayurvedic traditions to support bone, joint and metabolic health.
Gateway Health Alliances has spent more than two decades transforming these botanicals into precisely characterized, clinically validated extracts with standardized bioactive profiles. Using patented extraction and purification processes, Gateway isolates the key polyphenols and active constituents responsible for their metabolic effects.
New clinical data supports natural GLP-1 activity
Gateway’s latest clinical research provides compelling new insight into how its flagship botanical extracts help regulate appetite, support metabolic balance and drive meaningful weight outcomes. In a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 248 overweight and obese adults, both Dyglomera and CQR-300 demonstrated the ability to increase natural GLP-1 activity by modulating dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) – the enzyme responsible for rapidly degrading GLP-1.4
By reducing DPP-4 activity, GLP-1 remains active longer, helping regulate appetite, prolong satiety and support healthy post-meal glucose handling. Rather than overriding physiology, the extracts supports normal metabolic signaling, making it well-suited for daily, long-term use.
These new findings confirm an important addition to the mechanistic toolbox of Gateway ingredients, which deliver a coordinated, multi-pathway response across hormonal and metabolic systems – not just GLP-1 alone.
Key outcomes from the 16-week human trial:4
GLP-1 biology
- +295% GLP-1 increase with Dyglomera
- +321% GLP-1 increase with CQR-300
- −15.3% DPP-4 activity with Dyglomera
- −17.8% DPP-4 activity with CQR-300
Body-weight and body-composition results
- 5.2% average body-weight loss (Dyglomera)
- 5.8% average body-weight loss (CQR-300)
- 10.3% and 10.9% reductions in body fat, respectively
Behavioral and satiety effects
- 16% to 18% reductions in daily caloric intake
- >25% improvements in satiety scores
Metabolic markers
- Significant reductions in fasting glucose, triglycerides and LDL-Cholesterol
- Significant increases in HDL-Cholesterol
Together, these results position Dyglomera and CQR-300 as innovative natural solutions capable of maintaining healthy GLP-1 levels through well-defined biochemical pathways.
Mechanisms that go beyond GLP-1
Dyglomera and CQR-300 have long been recognized for their broad weight management and metabolic-health benefits. Across 14 peer-reviewed clinical studies over nearly two decades, the extracts modulate multiple hormones and pathways that influence appetite, energy balance and glucose and lipid metabolism.
- Leptin Improvements in leptin sensitivity support healthier appetite regulation and energy balance.5,6
- Adiponectin Both ingredients consistently increase adiponectin, enhancing insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism.5,6
- Insulin and glucose response Clinical trials show improvements in fasting glucose, post-meal glucose patterns and insulin levels, along with modulation of digestive enzymes that influence metabolic load.7,8
- Lipids and cardiovascular markers Favorable changes in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and waist circumference.9,10
- Body weight and body composition Meaningful reductions in weight, BMI and abdominal fat.5,8
Together, these data reinforces what metabolic researchers have long known: lasting weight management requires influencing more than one pathway. Gateway’s ingredients support this interlocking system.
Safety studies support daily, long-term use
Both extracts have demonstrated excellent tolerability across multiple clinical trials with no serious adverse events. Their food-based origins, long histories of safe traditional use, and low daily dose (300mg to 400 mg) support a strong safety profile.
Dedicated toxicology studies – including acute and sub-chronic toxicity, genotoxicity and standard safety pharmacology – validated their safety. The extracts show no stimulant-like effects, no cardiovascular stress and none of the gastrointestinal discomfort often associated with other weight management ingredients.11, 12
Formulation, certifications and versatile applications
Dyglomera and CQR-300 deliver on everything manufacturers require and consumers want, including convenience, great taste and seamless integration into foods, beverages and supplements.
- Low daily dose The daily recommended servings of Dyglomera (400mg) and CQR-300 (300mg) fit easily into capsules, gummies, tablets, powders, bars, sachets and ready-to-mix beverages.
- Favorable sensory and stability attributes Neutral flavor profile and excellent compatibility in both dry and wet systems.
- Self-affirmed GRAS Both ingredients have self-affirmed GRAS status supported by comprehensive safety dossiers. They’ve also been incorporated into supplement products with millions of servings over the past two decades.
- Sustainable & traceable sourcing Gateway’s fully traceable supply chains and standardized processing ensure reliable quality and consistency. All ingredients undergo rigorous testing for identity, purity, potency and contaminants, and manufacturing takes place in cGMP-, ISO- and HACCP-certified facilities that meet global regulatory standards.
These formulation advantages make Gateway extracts ideal for weight-management supplements, metabolic wellness blends, active-lifestyle formulations, functional beverages and emerging ‘metabolic foods’ bridging nutrition and supplementation. In contrast to high-dose blends or costly single-mechanism actives, these ingredients enable formulators to deliver clinically substantiated products without compromising consumer experience.
Clinically proven, multi-pathway solutions for next-gen weight management
As the market shifts toward holistic, clinically backed metabolic wellness, brands need ingredients that differentiate, perform and stand up to regulatory scrutiny. Dyglomera and CQR-300 are uniquely positioned to help formulators meet that moment with botanicals that:
- Demonstrate clinically validated GLP-1 support
- Activate multiple complementary metabolic pathways
- Deliver meaningful weight-management results
- Are safe, gentle and appropriate for long-term use
- Offer broad formulation versatility across product categories
References
- CDC. National Center for Health Statistics.
- Market.us Media. Weight Management Market Forecasted to Reach USD 465.9 Billion by 2034.
- McKinsey & Company. GLP-1s are changing obesity care. What comes next?
- Youovop, J.; et al. Effects of Dichrostachys glomerata and Cissus quadrangularis Extracts on GLP-1 Secretion and DPP-4 Activity in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Medicina. 2026; 62(1).
- Anti-inflammatory, anthropometric and lipomodulatory effects of Dyglomera® (aqueous extract of Dichrostachys glomerata) in obese patients with metabolic syndrome. Functional Foods in Health and Disease. November 2013.
- Nash, R.; et al. The use of a stem and leaf aqueous extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) to reduce body fat and other components of metabolic syndrome in overweight participants. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2019;25(1):98-106.
- Kuate, D.; Effectiveness of Dichrostachys glomerata spice phenolics in reduction of oxidative stress associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of Food Research. 2013; 2(2).
- Oben, J.; et al. The effect of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) and a Cissus formulation (CORE) on obesity and obesity-induced oxidative stress. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2007;6:4.
- Kuate, D.; et al. Effects of Dichrostachys glomerata spice on cardiovascular disease risk factors in normoglycemic and type 2 diabetic obese volunteers. Food Research International. 2011; 44(5).
- Kuate, D.; et al. The use of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) in the management of components of metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese participants. Natural Product Communications. 2015; 10(7):1281-6.
- Kothari, S.; et al. Safety Assessment of Cissus quadrangularis Extract (CQR-300): Subchronic Toxicity and Mutagenicity Studies. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2011; 49(12):3343-57.
- Kothari, S.; et al. Toxicologic Evaluation of Dichrostachys glomerata Extract: Subchronic Study in Rats and Genotoxicity Tests. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2014; 69:120-31.